This invention relates to fishing and boating equipment, and more particularly, to a downrigger system for trolling for fish from a boat.
Over the years, a variety of downrigger systems have been developed. These systems have included manually driven downriggers, motor driven downriggers, downriggers with slidable extension arms, downriggers with fixed extension arms and downriggers with temperature sensors. Typifying such downrigger systems are those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,797,159, 3,925,920, 3,922,808, 3,614,016, 3,785,079, 3,916,555 and 3,628,274. These conventional downrigger systems have met with varying degrees of success.
Some of the conventional downrigger systems have relatively short extension arms and do not position the cable and fishing line safely away from the stern of the boat with the resultant effect that the cable and fishing line become tangled with the boat's propeller.
A long downrigger arm is desirable because it keeps the downrigger cable and fishing line away from the hull and propeller of the boat, as well as from the weighted fishing lines of hand-held rods. However, although long downrigger arms are advantageous, it is often very difficult and cumbersome to reach for and grasp the weighted end of the cable to attach the fishing line, lure and/or bait.
It is therefore desirable to provide a downrigger system which overcomes most, if not all, of the preceding disadvantages.